Following nearly 18 months of anti-government rallies that also advocated for a new constitution and royal change, a crucial court judgement in Thailand has prompted concerns that campaigners could face treason charges.
Thailand's constitutional court issued the verdict in a case involving three protest leaders who are accused of defaming the monarchy.
On Wednesday, a panel of justices concluded that the campaigners' demands for reform were more than metaphorical sacrilege.
The court said their speeches aimed “to overthrow the constitutional monarchy” with Judge Wiroon Sangtian saying that any reform of royal laws would “bring the monarchy to an unrespected status and could bring disobedience among the people.”
Krisadang Nutcharut, a lawyer for the defendants, told Al Jazeera that the ruling was a "bad day."
“It’s not too far fetched to say that it [the death penalty] could be given,” Krisadang said. “ This ruling is not only related to section 112, [lese majeste] but they are now calling this an attempt to overthrow the regime, a treasonous offence that’s punishable with life in prison or death.”
The ruling comes after months of protests that began in July 2020, with demonstrators demanding not only the resignation of the government, but also the reform of the country's powerful and affluent monarchy. The unusual requests have sparked a public debate surrounding the palace, breaking a long-held taboo against openly criticizing the royal institution.
Arnon Nampa and Panupong "Mike" Jadnok, two of the three suspects in the case, are already facing more than a century in prison if convicted of a plethora of charges.
The third, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, also known as "Rung," was the activist who read out the protesters' ten demands in August of last year, which included a demand for greater openness on the king's wealth and for the monarchy to pay taxes. She is currently out on bail and has been charged with royal defamation, for which she could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
The judges' announcement implies that the three protest organizers' public activism is being equated with an effort to destroy the country's political structure, which now includes the king as its head of state.
